Today carbon is activated from materials such as coconut shell char, and reactivated from materials such as spent or exhausted petroleum coke saturated by exposure to gasoline vapors, by electrical resistance heating in the presence of steam. The conversion of carbonaceous raw materials such as coconut shells, wood chips, saw dust and coal products, by the same apparatus and process is precluded because the carbonaceous materials usually are not electrically conductive. A separate conversion apparatus and process is required.